Our Philosophy, Values & Ethics
With the birth of a baby a mother is also born. Motherhood is a beautiful, challenging and extraordinary life-long journey, yet it’s one that instinctively tends to place the children first. In addition it's not always a jounrey that is designed in today's world to compliment a sustainable lifestyle. It’s this simple premise that prompted us to create & Mother – a consciously curated store, exclusively for motherhood.
The experience of motherhood both physically and mentally on a woman is quite simply like no other - whether exploring conception, loss, birth, recovery and the onwards journey it is one that demands strength, and is rarely linear.
& Mother is designed to support and champion mothers at every step of their journey. True representation of motherhood and equity inform the decisions we make, from which brands to connect with to our approach to marketing and the initiatives we support.
Alongside sustainability, we don’t sacrifice practicality or aesthetic with the stores curation – it’s always both or nothing. It's a destination where you will find beautiful yet intentional gifts for yourself or friends. Our ambition with the pieces we select is to make mothers; mothers to be; and maybe one-day mothers feel seen. Honouring the woman she is & mother she has become.
Conscious consumption
Our commercial model encourages conscious consumption and supports a sustainable and ethical approach to business, both through our own supply chains and the brands we partner with. Where possible we offer pre-orders which remain open for sufficient time to allow considered (rather than impulse) purchases, and of course allow us to minimise waste or regular sales.
Each of the brands we showcase have positive impact stories which reflect the values of & Mother. All are consistently endeavouring to do better and recognise the importnace of championing maternal wellbeing, as are we. With our apparel and accessories we curate the store to be trans-seasonal, avoiding fleeting trends; showcasing timeless pieces that blend comfort with style, and when cared for will last a lifetime.
Care & consideration at every stage
Our marketing and product descriptions always endeavour to provide the genuine picture on a product. We genuinely welcome (and actively encourage!) customers contacting us to find our more about an item before purchasing. Our returns policy is conservative but always transparent. Made to order and overseas pre-order pieces can not be readily made eligible for full refunds but we are generous with store credit notes. Please do review each items individual returns to be clear ahead of purchasing.
We do not have a single charity, initiative or organisation we are supporting as a business, yet this is an important obligation for & Mother. We welcome you reaching out if you have any ideas for collaboration or support in this area.
All of the materials, ink & stickers we use for packaging and print are environmentally friendly. Alongside our 100% recycled and biodegradable packaging we offer (when available) a gift wrapping option made from off-cuts of material, botanically dyed and sewn in-house, which can be re-used and re-purposed.
Repair not replace
We offer an in-house atelier service for simple adjustments at an included or additional fair price. When purchasing apparel we want you to receive items ready to wear and in the best condition possible. Once you have placed your order you can email us to discuss your requirements. Our made to order pieces are always ripe for simple adjustments so do take advantage of this.
We advocate repair over buying new. We offer a free (where possible) repair service on garments and accessories purchased through & Mother. Sometimes natural wear and tear or an accidents can happen, or perhaps your body shape has changed with motherhood. Rather than having an item languish unworn we encourage you to email us to receive a free consultation where we can make recommendations for a repair solution and issue a return to sender envelope. If the repair required is involved we will discuss any associated fees with you.
Future plans
Looking ahead to 2024, we have plans for our own product range with this being carefully designed to fill genuine gaps within collections where we can not currently find a sustainable and ethical solution, particularly in the UK. Our pre-loved maternity & beyond collection will hopefully finally arrive too. & Mother is only two years old and just starting out on its journey. Finding ways to keep doing better and continuously working to become a model business will be part of our everyday fabric. We hope you’ll join us.